Sending Help to Typhoon Victims

Balitaan Newsletter 49, Fall 2009 www.rpcvphilippines.org PO Box 100114, Arlington, VA 22210 New grads Change of Treasurer Unsmooth sailing Looking ahead Help from donors Remembering Cory Three Foundation Stephen We hear how things can Aries Astilo, A listing of donors since Recalling scholars – Ailyn Acosta, Dienstfrey, go wrong – flunking a leader of the our last issue, and a President John Paul Lagod, Cath- named course, getting caught PCAFPD’s report on the generous Aquino’s erine Tumaob –win PCAFPD in a flood, running low Scholars and response to a September visit to the degrees,in educa- Treasurer on cash, all part of Alumni As- appeal for “stimulus 25th Peace tion,agriculture and as Stu current student experi- sociation, funds.” Corps accountancy. Taylor ence. talks about Pages 7, 8, 9 reunion in Page 7 leaves after 10 years, Pages 1, 2, 4, 6 the future – his and the 1986. files his first report. group’s Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 also affected our studies, with a one-week As I was walking to the Light Rail Tran- Coping with Ondoy: suspension of classes. sit station the water was high, right up to There was one Saturday I will never for- my chest, but it was too late to turn back ‘One Saturday I will get. It was raining heavily. Although our so I continued even though it was freez- never forget’ classes were suspended, the announce- ing cold and my body was shaking. ment came too late for many of the stu- But I was able to get home safely late dents already at school. that evening. Like many other Filipinos Von Ryn Garcia, from Sorsogon, is As I was heading home, I found the whose homes were devastated and their majoring in information technology at campus covered with water. I thought I loved ones lost, we remained strong. the University of the East. could manage to walk through the I started my second semester full of de- flood, but I was termination and eagerness to learn all the wrong; I decided to Sending help to skills and knowledge in all my major and stay on campus for minor subjects. When my professors dis- a while. typhoon victims cussed a certain topic I religiously lis- Our school gave tened to them and when there was a part us snacks and ad- To help those who suffered in the recent that I didn’t understand I researched it vised students not Philippine storms, one way is to make through books and open sources on the to go home until the donations through the Ayala Foundation Internet. flooding subsided. USA, a 501(c)(3) charity where contribu- As our lessons grew more and more dif- I decided to go tions are tax-deductible. Their website: ficult and complicated, I also learned how home that afternoon since I was getting http://www.af-usa.org/ to cope by continuously studying and worried and hungry. My money is only Another group rendering aid is Habitat practicing at home or at school. enough for me to commute going home for Humanity, which is constructing pre- When typhoon Ondoy hit us here in but not enough for staying overnight at fab toilets and transition homes for vic- Metro Manila at the end of September, it school since I can’t afford to buy food for tims of the typhoon. Their website: not only caused massive destruction but breakfast. http://www.habitat.org.ph/site/index.php 1 BALITAAN U.S. $10.50] per week as my allowance Tripped up by plus the living allowance that the scholar- Going alone, ship gives to me. From that living allowance, I get the payment for the apartment a decimal point where I stay, which is 1,000 pesos (about helping others $21) per month for five months a semes- Erika Rachelle O. Lopez is a civil engi- ter; what’s left is what I add to my weekly Rachel C. Briones from Cavite is major- neering student at the University of the allowance. I don’t ask my parents for the ing in Organizational Communications at Philippines-Los Baños. She is from apartment rent because I don’t want to University of the Philippines, Diliman. Batangas. give them another problem. They’re already having a hard time giving me my This was a great semester! At first, it I can almost feel that I am an engineer. allowance every week. was really hard to cope with new chal- Our courses this semester are all majors Anyway, back to the soil engineering lenges and experiences. It was the first and had exercises and activities in our class. I was required to take the final ex- time that I lived away from my family. I classes like the real thing – things that amination and needed 95% to pass the cooked my own food, ironed my clothes civil engineers do. subject or 84.5% to take the removals [a and kept a tight budget. This semester gave me the realization of process that allows a student to "remove" It was also the first time that I traveled what kind of civil engineer will I be. I a non-passing grade from the final re- to Manila alone. There were times when I will take the major of transportation engi- cords – Ed.]. The percent needed to pass felt sad because I missed talking with my neer when I start my master’s degree was too high so I mom about how my day went. It’s good work. Our professor is really great. I idol- aimed for the re- that my dorm-mates were helpful. They ize him for being so knowledgeable of his movals. I got 81% became my family in Manila. field. He makes me appreciate transporta- on the final ex- Our subjects were a bit difficult and it tion engineering to the fullest. aminations. Too was really hard to get high grades. I re- He’s teaching not only the theoretical bad I was not able member what our math professor told us. things but as well as his experiences of to read from the He said that learning is more important his career, which is more important. The instructions that than getting high grades and that if you grades and diploma count but what is we must use three aim to learn, good grades will follow. more important is the experience and the decimal places on I loved our National Service Training familiarity with your field, because it is our final answers – Program class. Our NSTP professor the application in the real world, not just I used only two decimal places so got just helped us understand how we, as Organi- on papers. partial points. That mistake made me not zational Communication students, could In our transportation engineering class, qualified to take the removal exam. contribute to our country’s development. we experienced examining the design of We discussed how communication helped roads and passed judgment on it. We had I talked to our professor and asked him in alleviating problems like poverty, un- our own recommendations on how to de- to give me another chance since the mis- employment, education and natural ca- velop and make the roads convenient for take is so minimal and the score was so lamities. road users. On our field trip, we went to close. I did the right things on the compu- During these past the North Luzon Expressway and there tation. I had the correct solution. I asked months, I had sev- we learned a lot of how they control and him that if he let me take the removal ex- eral opportunities facilitate the traffic and assure the safety amination, he could raise the passing to give service. I of the road users. score for my case like up to 80% or 90% joined our church The other subjects are also fun except when the normal passing score is 60%. community service for one – our soil engineering class. The But he was too firm and did not gave me project. We cleaned professor gives us problems on our ex- the chance. I can’t believe that a matter of the surroundings of aminations that he has not really and fully 3.5% will make me fail a subject. a public school. We explained to us. Almost all of us have not also gave short a failed anything until this subject and this I hope you will still give me another lecture on basic professor came into our lives. chance and let me prove myself. I’ve reading to a group of children in a com- I must admit it that I truly had a hard been a scholar for more than three years munity. Last September, I had an oppor- time in this subject for so many reasons, and thank you for all the support you tunity to help in the relief operations of like not appreciating it because of the gave and are still giving me. I just need our school for Ondoy tyhoon victims. I professor, the torturous exams and the your understanding and forgiveness this also donated food, water and clothes. fact that I’ve been sick a lot this semester. time. I can still make it to graduate on Now we are raising funds for students I believe my sickness was because of the time if I take the summer class this com- that were affected by the flood. On the stresses on my academics, family and ing April. I’m almost done.

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